Utah high school counselor charged with enticing a minor

BOUNTIFUL — A Viewmont High School counselor and boys' soccer coach who was arrested earlier this week for allegedly soliciting a child online has been charged.

Spencer David Keddington, 44, of Centerville, was charged Thursday in 2nd District Court with solicitation of a minor, a first-degree felony, and enticing a minor, a second-degree felony.

On Sept. 25, an undercover officer posing as a 13-year-old girl online began chatting with a person later determined to be Keddington, according to charging documents.

"The conversation then moved to another social media platform designed specifically for privacy-focused messaging. Keddington asked (the undercover officer) to send another picture, this time with their tongue sticking out and making a peace sign on their forehead to establish that (she) was 'real,'" the charges state.

Keddington then asked the undercover officer, "'What is it you want?' after which the conversation became sexual," according to the charges.

Despite saying that he has been "burned" before, Keddington asked multiple times during the conversation to "see more" of the alleged girl, the charges state. He arranged to meet the "girl" that night, but police say Keddington did not show up.

Investigators, however, continued to look into Keddington and "verified that Keddington was currently employed as a school counselor and soccer coach at Viewmont High School," according to the charges.

On Tuesday, Keddington was taken into custody. When questioned by investigators, he confirmed his username on the social media platforms and "that he had been chatting with underage children and juveniles on these platforms. Keddington told officers that the conversations could have involved sexual content and that he felt guilty afterwards. Keddington admitted that he had asked minors and children for nude photos while using the social media platforms," charging documents state.

The Davis School District issued a brief statement Wednesday following Keddington's arrest:

"One of the Davis School District's highest priorities is the safety and well-being of every student in our care. As soon as we learned about the situation, we immediately placed the employee on leave. We appreciate our partnership with local law enforcement and plan to fully cooperate with their investigation."

Prosecutors have requested that Keddington be held without the possibility of posting bail pending trial.

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